-keller



(No Model.)

2 Sheets-$heet 2. L. KELLER. CARTRIDGE LOADING MACHINE.

Patented Feb. 13, 1883.

INVENTOR BYWAZW/ 7 ATTORNFVV u. PETERS Washingun D Q NITED STATES PATENTQFFICE.

LOUIS KELLER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CARTRIDGE-LOADING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 272,060, dated February13, 1883.

Application filed November 6,1882. (No model.)

To all whom "it may concern Be it known that I, LOUIS KELLER, of thecity of New York, State and county of New York, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Oartridge-Loadin g Machines, of which thefollowing, taken in connection with 'the accompanying drawings, is afull, clear,

and exact description.

This invention relates to apparatus for loading cartridges, in which thefollowing devices are incorporated, to wit: a hopper dividedinto twochambers, in one of which the powder is contained and in the other theshot, a gate containing the shot and powder measuring chambers, a tubeto convey the powder and shot to the shell, a plunger to force the wadsinto the cartridge, and a support for the cartridge.

My improvements relate more particularly to the plungerand itsactuating-lever, the gate, and the support for the cartridge, and are asfollows:

Figure 1 shows a sectional view of the apparatus through the lever whichworks the plunger. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus, showing thearrangement of the powder and shot tube, the plunger, and thecartridgesupporting device. Fig. 3 shows a plan ofthe gate. Fig. 4 showsa view of the gate as operated by the lever.

Like letters indicate like parts in all the figures.

1n the drawings, a are legs upon which the device is supported. Insteadof separate legs the support may be a solid flange-like casting or anydesired shape.

a are holes through the lower ends of the legs, whereby the apparatusmay be screwed to a bench or table. An ordinary th um b-screw clamp maybe substitutedin place ot'the screws, if desired.

b is a block of metal which sustains the cartridge horizontally. It isfastened to the legs, and through it a hole, I), is formed, of a sizesuitable to receive and hold the cartridge. At the upper end the block bis cut out hopper-like, as at W, so that the powder and shot coming fromthe conveying-tube shall be more surely guided into the shell, and sothat the wads may be more easily located to receive the thrust of theplunger. At the bottom of the hopper-like part there is aninwardly-projecting circumferential flange or shoulder, I), whichprotects the upper rim of the shell from injury by the plunger, and alsoguides it into the shell.

c is a bolt which rotates in a hole formed through the support of thedevice. 011 its upper end is a handle or lever, c, and on its lower endis fastened an arm, 0 which carries a block of metal, 0 This block isthe anvil or support for the cartridge. It sustains it vertically.Across its upper face, and on the arc of a circle of which the distancebetween the center of the block 0 and the center of the bolt 0 is aradius, is cut a groove, 0, sufficiently wide and deep to prevent theprimer in the end. of the cartridge from being rubbed as the block isswung from under it.

c is akey or pin to prevent the block from turning in the arm 0 d is aset-screw, whereby the block 0 may be held at such elevation as desired.is loosened the block maybe slid up and down through the arm to adjustit to cartridges ot' dilferent length.

6 is a tray to contain the wads. It is preferably fastened to the upperportion of the block b.

ff are two posts which support the upper part of the apparatus. Theyrest'on the legs at the bottom, and connect with the plate hat theirupper ends.

g is the powder and shot conveying tube. It connects at the top with ahole through the plate h, which plate forms the bottom of the powder andshot chambers in the gate. Upon this plate It the gate rests. It alsoforms the base or platform for the upper part of the apparatus. It issupported by posts ff, which preferably pass through two cars projectingfrom the plate. (Shown att'i.) The lowerend of the tube 1 dischargesinto the hopper'like upper end of the cartridge'sustaining block. (Seenat N.)

j is the guide for the plunger. axis for the gate to swing on. It isfast to the plate It. Through it the plunger It moves vertically, andalso rotates horizontally as the device is operated.

l is the lever or arm which actuates the plunger and the gate. Itconnects with the It is also the When it I plunger by a universal ortwo-motion joint. (Shown at k.) One endof the lever has a handle on it.The other is pivoted to an arm, m, which is rigidly fastened to the sideof the gate. A slot is cut through the lever l horizontally, throughwhich travels the pin k which connects the lever to the plunger.

n is the gate. (Best shown in Figs. 3 and 4.) Through its center is ahole, the sides of which fit around the plunger-guide j. its exterior iscomposed of a ring, a, set edgewise, and the space intermediate, thisring and the plunger-guidej is partially filled by three' blocks, 0,0,and 0 The block 0 is fastened firmly to the ring at, and the other twoare movable circularly within the ring. Set-screws 0 and 0 play throughslots in the side of the ring a and enter the blocks 0 and 0 wherebythese blocks can be moved circumferentially and fastened in any desiredposition, thus enlarging or contractingthe chambers 0 and 0 which arerespectively the powder and shot measuring chambers. On the side of thering a, near the set-screws 0 and 0, respectively, may be placedappropriate graduations, and, if desired, an indicating finger orpointer, whereby the capacity of the chambers, respectively, can bereadily ascertained.

q q are two stops suitably located on the plate h, or in any othersuitable position, to limit the movement of the gate, as hereinafterstated.

1' is the powder and shot hopper. It is divided into two chambers by apartition. In the bottom of the hopper are formed two holes, 1" and TThe hole through the plate 71., which connects with the conveying-tubeg, (seen at 8, Figs. 3 and 4,) is located between the holes 7' and 7*,so that when the-gate is turned in one direction by a movement of thelever I one of the chambers in the gate-either the powder or the shotchamber, as the case may bewill be brought over the hole 8, and thecontents of-the chamber emptied through the hole 8 into theconveyer-tube g, and by it carried to the cartridge; and when the leveris moved in the opposite direction the other chamber will in its turn bebrought over the hole 8 and its contents will be emptied into theconveyer, and by it, in like manner, carried to the cartridge; and theholes in the bottom of the hopper are so located that when one of thechambers in the gate is discharging its contents into the conveyer-tubethe other chamber will be filled either with powder or shot, as the casemay be, from the hopper.

t t are two pins, between which the lever, when in its most elevatedposition, rests, and by its impingement against them the gate is moreeasily and smoothly turned. They are not, however, essential.

u is a spring which holds the plunger and lever in their most elevatedposition when no downward pressure is exerted on the lever, and itretracts them when such pressure is removed.

The operation is as follows: The block 0 is swung out from under thecartridge-sustaining block b, either by turning the handle cor by simplytaking hold of the block 0 and pulling it away. (And here I will statethat the handle 0 is not essential to the successful operation of theapparatus. The bolt 0 may be'fastened in the base of the apparatus andthe arm 0 simply rotate upon it.) The cartridge is then introduced intothe hole I) in the block b from below. The supporting-block c is thenswung back under the head of the cartridge. The lever l is then swunghorizontally to the right or the left, as the case may be, (dependingupon which chamber in the gate contains the powder,) until it brings upagainst the appropriate stop, q. While being thus swung the plungerrotates in its guide j. The powder will then drop into the conveyer-tubeg and be emptied into the cartridge, and the shot-chamber in the gatewill be filled from the hopper. A

wad is then slid from the tray 0 into the cen-- ter of the hopper-likeupper end of the cartridge-sustaining block I). The lever is thendepressed, carrying down with it the plunger L, which forces the wadhome. The lever and plunger are then allowed to ascend, being retractedby the spring u, and the lever is then swung horizontallyin the oppositedirection untilitisarrestedbythesecondstopq. WVhenthis takes place theshot will descend through the hole 8 in the plate h and theconveyer-tube 9 into the cartridge, as. did the powder, and while thisis taking place the powder-chamber in the gate is being refilled fromthe hopper. A second wad is then, as before, placed centrally in theupper end of the block b and the plunger again brought down by pressureon the lever. The cartridge is now loaded. The anvil orc-artridge'supporting block 0 is now a second time swung out from underthe loaded cartridge, and if the cartridge sticks in the block b thelever lbeing again brought down the plunger will force the cartridgeout.

Among the benefits arising from my invention are the following:

First, both the gate and the plunger are operated by the same lever,requiring but one hand.

Second, if the cartridge sticks it can be at once forced out by thelever and plunger.

Third, the capacity of the powder and shot chambers in the gate can beeasilyand quickly changed without the aid of tools.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim- 1. The combination, in acartridge-loading apparatus, of suitable receptacles for containingthepowderandshot,connectingwithamovable gate which contains the shot andpowder measuring chambers, means for conveying the shot and powder fromthe gate to the cartridge, a plunger to force the wads into thecartridge, a lever so connected with the plunger and the gate that theymay both be operated by it, a block to retain the cartridge lat- IIOerally placed in line with the plunger, and'a swinging block or supportagainst which the head of the cartridge rests, which swinging block maybe swung out from under the cartridge, so that it may be forced out fromthe stationary laterally-supporting block, and all supported on asuitable base or standard, substantially as and for the purposes setforth.

2. The combination, in a cartridge loading apparatus, of suitablereceptacles for containing the powder and shot. connecting with amovable gate, which contains two measuringchambers, one for the powderand the other for the shot, means for conveying the powder and shot fromthe gate to the cartridge, a plunger placed over or in line with thecartridge-supporting device, and a lever so con.-

LOUIS KELLER.

Witnesses:

PHILLIPS ABBOTT, JOHN J. OAULDWELL.

